URGENT help needed with RTC

[Jeko]

I just found ich on my oscars and silver tips and noticed my RTC scratching. I have noticed no spots on him but i seen my oscars covered in spots. I have been reading the other posting in the diseases section on how to cure ich with heat/salt. I am upping the heat with aeration as well, but my main question is can my RTC handle salt. If not i will do only the heat option. This infuriates me bec i have never had ich infectation before

Thanks in advance...
Jeff

 

[necrocanis]

I keep catfish almost exclusively, and I have been keeping salt in all my tanks for about 2 years now. None of my catfish have had any ill effects due to salt in their tanks. Actually they get less desieses, and seem more frisky. Others will say no salt with catfish, but I have been doing it even with my rtc x tsn hybrid, and no ill effect. So I use about half the recomended doseage. About 1 tbsp of salt per 5-10 gals of aqaurium water. I disolve it first in a cup of the aqaurium water then add it in. If they have never had any salinity in their water gradually increase it over time. Put a couple tbsp fulls a day until your reach the desired dosage. Takes a little while to kill ich unless you have high temps. Hope this helps.

 

[Jeko]

I keep catfish almost exclusively, and I have been keeping salt in all my tanks for about 2 years now. None of my catfish have had any ill effects due to salt in their tanks. Actually they get less desieses, and seem more frisky. Others will say no salt with catfish, but I have been doing it even with my rtc x tsn hybrid, and no ill effect. So I use about half the recomended doseage. About 1 tbsp of salt per 5-10 gals of aqaurium water. I disolve it first in a cup of the aqaurium water then add it in. If they have never had any salinity in their water gradually increase it over time. Put a couple tbsp fulls a day until your reach the desired dosage. Takes a little while to kill ich unless you have high temps. Hope this helps.

Thanks necrocanis!! Seems like I can always count on your expertise when it comes to my cats... I started upping the temp as we speak, will start adding the salt tomorrow!

 

[necrocanis]

no problem, just remember to gradually increase it, and if the ich continues to get worse you might have no choice but to medicate. I have noticed that ich spreads really fast on catfish and if your's is already scratching he definitely has it. Just be carefull it stresses them out and can lead to fin and tail rot as well. Keeping catfish healthy when other fish get sick is a pain. lol. After I moved my big boy he got ich, velvet, cloudy eyes, and fin and tail rot. Luckily I noticed it right away, and I medicated the hell out of him. He's almost healed now. His eyes are still a little cloudy, but it's clearing up. I am treating him with melafix. Works pretty good, but expensive when treating in a 350 gal pond lol.

 

[doubledragon]

I agree I salt all my tanks, and I've found it definetely helps our scaless friends. I've been doin it atleast 8 years now and definitely had no problems. Just make sure you dissolve it first, I actually use a hand blender in a big cup( speeds up the process). I was told once to always keep my tropical fish at atleast 80 degrees and I'll never have ich, it's worked so far, atleast 10 years ich free. Sound's like a cheesy commercial, ha ha Good luck!